By OKOSUN DENNIS
What appears to be a full scale probe of the military is about to commence as President Mohammadu Buhari has ordered a comprehensive probe of the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Alexander Badeh, and other service chiefs.
The probe is at the instance of the on-going probe of the $2.1bn arms procurement being supervised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Those to be probed include former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, the ex-Chief of Air Staff A.N Amosu and other former military leaders.
In a statement in Abuja on Friday by the Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu gave the full list of those to be probed to include retired and serving military officers who served during the immediate past government of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The comprehensive list released from the presidency include Air Chief Marshal AS Badeh (rtd); Air Marshal MD Umar (rtd); Air Marshal AN Amosu (rtd); Maj Gen. ER Chioba (rtd); Air Vice Marshall IA Balogun (rtd); AVM AG Tsakr (rtd); AVM AG Idowu (rtd); AVM AM Mamu; AVM OT Oguntoyinbo.
Others are: AVM T Omenyi; AVM JB Adigun; AVM RA Ojuawo; AVM JA Kayode Beckley Air Cdre SA Yushau (rtd) Air Commodore AO Ogunjobi; Air Cdre GMD Gwani; Air Cdre SO Makinde; Air Cdre AY Lassa; Col N Ashinze and Lt Col. MS Dasuki (rtd).
Garba Shehu added that based on the recommendations of the committee’s second interim report, the president has ordered the commission to probe the roles of the officers and the companies and their chiefs in major breaches connected with the purchases by the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigerian Air Force.
Such companies listed for probe include the following: Messrs Societe D’ Equipments Internationaux; Himma Aboubakar;Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Services Limited; Messrs Syrius Technologies; Dr Theresa A. Ittu; Sky Experts Nig Ltd; Omenyi Ifeanyi Tony; Huzee Nig Ltd; GAT Techno Dynamics Ltd; Gbujie Peter Obie; Onuri Samuel Ugochukwu;Spacewebs Interservices Ltd; Oguntoyinbo Tayo; Oguntoyinbo Funmi; Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd; Chief Jacobs Bola; Mono Marine Corporation Nig Ltd; Geonel Intergrated Services Ltd; Sachi Felicia; Mudaki Polycarp; Wolfgang Reinl.
The statement reads in part: “the main purchase activity undertaken by Dasuki’s office for NAF was that concerning the contracts awarded to Societe D’ Equipment Internationaux (SEI) Nig Ltd. The SEI contracts included procurement of two used Mi-24V helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at the cost of $136, 944, 000.00.
“The Committee established that ONSA also funded the procurement of 4 used Alpha jets for the NAF at the cost of $7, 180, 000.00. However, it was confirmed that only 2 of the Alpha jet aircraft were ferried to Nigeria after cannibalization of engines from NAF fleet.
“It was further observed that the sum $3.3m was fraudulently included in the contract agreement as VAT and with holding tax and subsequently paid into the bank accounts of Spacewebs Interservices Ltd and Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd.
“The committee further established that two million US dollars ($2m) from the proceeds was transferred to Mono Marine Corporation Nig Ltd, which is jointly owned by principal characters in this deal. The Committee opined that the infractions of extant regulations by these companies were clearly intended to defraud.
“The committee uncovered insider dealings by military officers in procurement activities undertaken by ONSA and the NAF. The officers were found to have misused or abused their offices for personal gains by influencing award of contracts to private companies in which they have substantial interests.”
The operatives of the anti-graft commission had recently sealed the house of Alex Badeh in Wuse district, Abuja. The action of the EFCC was said to be part of the current investigations into the arms procurement scandal in the office of former NSA Sambo Dasuki.
Apart from the key culprit in the arms probe Dasuki, there are others who have been lashed in the investigation, including former minister of state for finance, Bashir Yuguda, chairman of DAAR communication, Raymond Dopkesi and former chairman of the PDP, Haliru Bello, spokesperson of the Peoples’ Democratic Party of Nigeria, Olisa Metuh and many